Attracting more association members is an ongoing task that requires revisiting your mission, vision, values, and membership benefits regularly to ensure they remain current. Each year, some members may leave due to job changes, retirement, budget cuts, or other reasons. As members exit, maintaining a steady influx of new members becomes essential to help non-profit associations thrive and evolve.
So, how can small-staff associations boost their membership numbers consistently? Here are seven easy strategies that can significantly grow your association’s membership.
1. Offer Valuable Content to Drive Lead Generation
Start by crafting content that builds relationships with potential members. What benefits, events, and community could your association promote on external channels to engage with prospective members? To build a connection, first, get to know your audience:
- Identify specific member segments (e.g., students, early-career, executives).
- Research what each group needs to succeed, the challenges they face, and the knowledge gaps they want to fill.
Delivering valuable, targeted content establishes your association as a go-to resource, fostering trust and driving traffic that can turn visitors into leads and, ultimately, new members. Fostering a strong community while creating personalized content for your membership tiers will help to attract new members to your tribe.
2. Update or Revamp Your Membership Levels
Offering varied membership tiers can help cater to diverse budgets and career stages. Here are some examples of different membership models:
- Career Stage Tiers: Offer levels tailored to each stage, like student, professional, or lifetime memberships.
- Corporate Tier: Provide a package for businesses with group discounts and branded learning options.
- Premium Membership: This level might include full access to benefits, appealing to members seeking comprehensive resources.
Each membership level should align with your members’ needs. Collect input through surveys or focus groups to refine these tiers to make sure you stay connected to the needs and aspirations of your membership.
Read: Association Membership Retention Strategies: Pathways to Sustainable Growth
3. Create Tailored Messaging Around Membership Levels
Develop concise value statements for each membership package around the unique benefits of each membership level. Address key points such as:
- Who benefits from each package
- What specific advantages each offers
- Why it’s the best choice compared to alternatives
- Consider how your positioning and messaging differentiate you from other associations they may consider joining
Share these messages consistently across social media, email campaigns, and your website, tailoring them to resonate with each target audience. Lean into your mission, vision, and values to support these messages to attract aligned members to join.
4. Increase Engagement on Social Media
Social media can be a powerful membership recruitment tool. It allows prospective members to see how you engage with your community of members. Follow these steps:
- Determine where your prospects spend their time online.
- Develop a strategy that aligns with your association’s membership goals and audience preferences.
- Ask questions, share membership values, and invite prospective members to get involved in post CTAs.
Post valuable content regularly, including previews of membership perks like events or community discussions. Consider using targeted ads to target demographics and professions to expand the reach of your organic content.
5. Simplify the Membership Process
Reduce any barriers to joining by optimizing your website to have a frictionless new member onboarding experience:
- Ensure it’s clear what members gain from joining.
- Keep the sign-up form short, requesting only essential information.
- Depending on the pricing of your membership, consider providing a monthly payment option, making membership more accessible for younger or budget-conscious professionals.
These steps help minimize obstacles that could deter prospective members. Make the user’s experience of becoming a member of your association simple and quick to administer.
6. Offer Membership Incentives
Incentives can encourage prospects to join and can motivate your existing members to take action to help grow membership through referrals. Examples include:
- A special discount for first-time events or webinars.
- Early bird access to exclusive events for new members who join by a set date.
- Referral rewards for current members who bring in new members.
Promote these incentives in your membership newsletter, on your website, blog, and social media channels .
7. Improve Member Experiences with Modern Management Software
With association management software, you can streamline and enhance member experiences. Track and analyze engagement data and foster connections through an online community. Leverage membership insights to better tailor services and membership benefits while boosting member retention and loyalty.
Implementing these strategies can have a lasting impact on your membership growth, even with a small or volunteer run staff. With focused content, clearly defined membership levels, and a welcoming, seamless sign-up process, your association can effectively attract and retain members year after year.